GM SpiderBeard's Carrion Crown (Inactive)

Game Master motteditor

As you sort through the ashes you find a couple of more items that look like they were the payment of the man looking to be transformed.

- 10 diamonds worth 500 gp each
- an ebony fly figurine of wondrous power, decorated lovingly with an Urgathoa skull motif

Wren recognizes the crystal as lazurite, also known as ghoul stone. It's a very rare crystal from the Darklands which contains powerful necromantic energy. When focused it can drain the life force from the living, and even create undead.

”Oh yeah, this should be smashed,” Wren answers W’Jack’s question and steps far back in case there are any stored necromatic energies.

When the smashing is done, she will follow the goon squad to the next area.

CLW: 13d8 + 13 ⇒ (8, 5, 1, 1, 2, 7, 7, 6, 2, 6, 4, 3, 5) + 13 = 70

Elena tends to her wounds with a wand from within her robes. It begins to feel much lighter as a lot of the magic within is expended. Reaching down she grabs ahold of the ebony fly motif. "This is interesting. How does it work?"

Whiskeyjack will use the remnants of his divine power of Angradd to smash the crystal with his magic hammer!

Lena stands ready to act if needed

So...can I get some healing?

"Of course friend Vladlena, please borrow this wand."

40 charges on wand of CLW, will subtract however many you use.

"Oi! Sorry, Lena lass. I dinnae be realizin' ye be hurt."

Whiskeyjack plucked the wand from Adder's hand and tapped Lena with it. Lightly. Apparently he could be gentle in his healing. Who knew?

[ooc]Use as many as you need[/b]

Y'all need to push and move in a direction, peeps. You can heal and move/push in the same post.

Wren waits to see where the goon squad is moving.

Bronin turns around and opens the door heading south.
Let's check out these doors. we don't want enemies at our backs, and if we see what's here, we can focus on the northern doors without worry.

Bronin jumps into action. Opening the door- hoping it doesn't go Boom.

I was waiting to see what the result of trying to smash the crystal was before I moved on

And your GM was absent.

The room clears and Whiskeyjack brings down Raven's Head on the crystal. There's an explosion of negative energy as the crystal is destroyed under the force of the ancient warhammer. Whiskeyjack nods at a good job done, and the group checks out the south door.

You listen at the door and hear nothing before winging it open to reveal a ghostly chamberlain standing before you and a bored, pale woman in a seat in the back of the room. The phantom before you is barely visible and wears the clothes of a severely-dressed noble with a tall, lanky frame, dead eyes, limp gray hair, and gaunt features.

Compared to the decayed filth of the nave, this chamber is almost welcoming. Abused finery crowds the room, and heavy curtains, plush embroidered settees, rich rugs, and high-backed chairs bask in the warm light of a tabletop lantern. A large iron grate is set in the floor, a cool draft wafting up from below.

The phantom holds his palms forth in a gesture of peace. "Step no further, and leave this place for you trespass!"

Wren ducks her head in to examine the ghostly waitstaff and then moves back.

1d20 + 23 ⇒ (20) + 23 = 43 Religion

She's not super keen on dallying with the undead, preferring the living or at least the corporeal undead for that sort of thing.

If she learns anything about them, she will share with the party.

"We don't mean to trespass, but we must go on. Are you with the Whispering Way?" Elena asks a bit unsure, but the phantom seemed willing to talk. "You don't seem like you are. You seem nicer." She smiles gently.

Bronin stands and smiles. He knows about royalty and chamberlains.

Bronin gives a half bow. A sign of respect for the ghost's station, but also an indication that Bronin has a high station himself.

Senechal - you obviously run an elite household. The job you do as major-domo is with honor and commendable. Your roof-mistress must be very proud of you.
I am Bronin Dohari; the second born of the Syradel and Ascari tribes. My mother is Roofmistress of the remnant. I have led my people to the Riverlands where they live in peace and harmony and prosperity.
This is Lady Elena Nethermore known for her honor. Also in attendance with a desire to hold court with your RoofMistress- Is Feathermage Wren, HighPriest Whiskeyjack of the good god Angradd, Flamemaster Vladlena, and Kingsguard Jameson Addercap the Fourth of his line.

We have entered under the roof of your mistress, and wish to present gifts to show how humble we are before her.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (10) + 17 = 27

Wren knows a spectre when she sees one. Incorporeal undead noted for their powerful life draining abilities. They also normally come in packs.

Bronin's incredible diplomatic prowess falls on deaf ears. Probably because the spectre lacks corporeal ears to speak of.

"You will be destroyed if you do not leave immediately. The Gray Friar will not take your intrusion lightly - we are the Whispering Way and your corpses will make fine servants once you have shown the true path of undeath!"

Bronin seems deflated to know that this guy is not a good guy and unable to be flattered. This really has not been a good day for him.
So, no discussions at least? I for one would like to know why you or the person sitting behind you is called The Gray Friar. Information is important, discourse is important --even among destroyers.

"Aye, tha's abou' wha' I be expectin'. Ye cannae be expectin' t' jest walk int' a place like this an' be talkin' wit' th' senschal like i' be one o' your noble parlors. Here there be monsters."

"Here, channel some o' tha' energy o' yours int' somethin' useful!"

Whiskeyjack reached over and touched Bronin. The warrior felt his mind filled with a lust for battle and a desire to annihilate the undead in front of him.

Using a blessing of war (10th level) on Bronin.

Wren has heard enough, drawing her wand of Magic Missiles and readying spells of arcane savagery.

No one puts Birdie in a corner.

Bronin jumps forward! Swords spinning.

The chamberlain flaots into the air, spreading his hands as the woman rises behind him. Spectres flood out from the walls to close in on you!

She smirks over at the chamberlain. "That was pointless."

ELENA wins initiative and goes first!

lena heals

cure light: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

cure light: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

cure light: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

cure light: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

cure light: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

cure light: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

cure light: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

current HP 68/69
Current AC 27, flat-footed 20

Elena watches in fright as several more spectres pass through the walls to fill the room. "uh..oh"

Delay

The four spectres float menacingly towards you, passing through the walls as they reach out! Adder feels a cold presence brush through his armour, but he resists the horrific energy drain of the spectres.

The vampire mutters a spell and vanishes.

Adder takes 2 damage. EVERYONE IS UP!

"Oh no! Ye dinnae be gettin' t' be walkin' away tha' easily, vampire filth!" Whiskeyjack spat on the floor, slamming his hammer into his shield and chanting a few words. A halo of pale blue energy covered his hammer, and he began flailing about at the wraiths nearest him.

Swift to activate ghost touch on my hammer. Full attack on black

attack1,pa,sw,bane: 1d20 + 16 + 2 + 3 - 3 ⇒ (3) + 16 + 2 + 3 - 3 = 21
damage: 1d10 + 8 + 6 + 2 + 3 + 2d6 ⇒ (2) + 8 + 6 + 2 + 3 + (6, 6) = 33
intimidate: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (1) + 14 = 15
hurtful if intimidated,pa,sw,bane: 1d20 + 16 + 2 + 3 - 3 ⇒ (11) + 16 + 2 + 3 - 3 = 29
damage: 1d10 + 8 + 6 + 2 + 3 + 2d6 ⇒ (8) + 8 + 6 + 2 + 3 + (5, 5) = 37

attack2,pa,sw,bane: 1d20 + 16 + 2 + 3 - 3 - 5 ⇒ (9) + 16 + 2 + 3 - 3 - 5 = 22
damage: 1d10 + 8 + 6 + 2 + 3 + 2d6 ⇒ (1) + 8 + 6 + 2 + 3 + (2, 2) = 24
intimidate: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (7) + 14 = 21
hurtful if intimidated,pa,sw,bane: 1d20 + 16 + 2 + 3 - 3 - 5 ⇒ (5) + 16 + 2 + 3 - 3 - 5 = 18
damage: 1d10 + 8 + 6 + 2 + 3 + 2d6 ⇒ (4) + 8 + 6 + 2 + 3 + (2, 1) = 26

Round 1

Wren cracks her knuckles, having prepared for this very assault. Raising herself to her full height, straightening her back in delight at being right (again). With her fingers quickly moving to find the right feather to unlock the arcane spell, she offers her magics to the spectres.

First she casts extended quickened see invisibility so she might see the vampire should it be lurking about. Then a second spell....

13d6 ⇒ (2, 4, 3, 4, 1, 1, 6, 1, 2, 4, 1, 6, 2) = 37 ectoplasmic chain lightning

”This is not the shocker that I’m used to, but I think I’ll like it.”

DC24 to the first (the vampire if it is around, and DC 22 Reflex after that for half for the rest.

Elena backs away as the spectres come in through the walls, "What do we do?"

Split Hex Misfortune on Grey and unmarked. DC 24

DESTROY THEM! Bronin's eyes are alight with a reckless abandon.
Whiskeyjack's spell coursing through his veins and dulling his brain.
LEEERROOOYYYYYY!!!!

@ GM - for each hit, I personally take a 1d6 of viscious damage.feel free to roll.

Adder starts with Blue and holds the line.

Attack: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (2) + 22 = 24
Damage: 2d4 + 24 ⇒ (1, 2) + 24 = 27

Attack: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23
Damage: 2d4 + 24 ⇒ (3, 1) + 24 = 28

Attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Damage: 2d4 + 24 ⇒ (1, 4) + 24 = 29

BZZHT

Green ectoplasmic lightning cracks through all the enemies and soon the spectres start falling before the attacks of the group. Whiskeyjack, Bronin, and Adder all dispatch the spectres around them.

LENA is up!

EEK!

Lena casts two magic missiles at the closest spectre

quickened magic missile: 5d4 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (1, 4, 1, 3, 3) + 5 + 1 = 18

empowered magic missile: 5d4 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (2, 2, 4, 3, 1) + 5 + 1 = 18 x1.5=27

Total damage is 45 points

With the spectres both badly wounded from the lightning, Lena takes out two of them with a one-two punch and soon there are no spectres left. With the vampire revealed to Wren, she quickly sends a fireball up into the group!

37 fire damage to everyone, DC 21 reflex for half. Everyone is up!

Round 2

1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 10 + 2 = 32 Reflex

Wren casts Magic Missile on the vampire jerk and moves out of sight.

5d4 + 5 ⇒ (3, 2, 4, 1, 4) + 5 = 19 force damage
7/50 charges left.

Elena Reflex DC 21: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23 Resist Fire 10
Potpie Reflex DC 21: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

Elena delays, holding back to see what the others do with the vampire.

I SAID EVERYONE IS UP!

Ref DC 21: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32

Adder ducks out of the way, taking no damage from the fire. He moves up to the vampire to prevent further casting.

Double move.

Oops! I meant to post, I promise!

reflex: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

Whiskeyjack grimaced as his beard was singed...again. He would be lucky to save the world with a single whisker intact. The price he paid...
He stomped into the room and cast a single spell. The room filled with a pulsing blue light that coated everything like a thin layer of glowing blue syrup. Everything including the invisible vampire!

swift to burn a fervor to cast invisibility purge on myself, then flank with Adder

Lena watches the oncoming blast

ref: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (11) + 13 = 24

The flames wash over Lena without any effect, with the exception of some hair moving.

Not bad. I nearly felt that. Have a reply As she blasts the vampire

scorching ray: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (11) + 15 = 26 touch

damage: 4d6 + 2 ⇒ (5, 6, 6, 2) + 2 = 21

scorching ray: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (2) + 15 = 17 touch

damage: 4d6 + 2 ⇒ (5, 1, 6, 4) + 2 = 18

scorching ray: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (5) + 15 = 20 touch

damage: 4d6 + 2 ⇒ (5, 2, 4, 6) + 2 = 19

Elena moves into the room as she ducks behind the couch, giving the vampire a small bit of misfortune. She watches from the safety of her cover as the rest go toe to toe with an actual vampire.

Misfortune DC 24

Gah, FFS. Let’s get going.

Bronin says something rambling and near incoherent about the nobility, sounding like a unclogging of the pooper with lips flapping in the noisome winds.

”My auntie drills for tapioca from the backsides of sheep!” Bronin says has he moves in to attack the vampire.

1d20 + 21 ⇒ (9) + 21 = 30 to hit;
1d8 + 17 + 1d6 + 2d6 ⇒ (7) + 17 + (4) + (3, 1) = 32 Fire damage and vicious damage

You Vampires may have Ustalav as a base for your monarchy, but the rest of the world condemns your governmental set up, where you use your citizens as sheep for feeding!

Bronin cites something far more noisome and far more on target about nobility than tapioca.

I moved on map.

Oh, lol

Sorry kids life has been hammering me. Hoping I'm getting into a normal schedule soon.

Lena blasts the vampire with a few scorching rays and as the group rushes in on her, Wren spots her have a moment of "I'm screwed, aren't I?" and she quickly produces a wand, waves it, and is gone.

BAMF!

Wren knows a dimension door when she sees it.

Looking over the room you're unable to find much of particular value, but hey the spooky doorman is dead and that's pretty great.

End of Combat

The only likely way to go is north from here. Checking the door, which is fine, you push northwards into the Reliquary.

Dozens of moldering relics litter this room, some haphazardly
crammed into gilded display cases, others arranged with care
and placed on tarnished stands.

Some of the relics that aren't rotted out look to have substantial monetary value, but don't appear to have any magic powers or anything of the nature.

Lemme know if you want to loot or push on or do whatever other wacky stuff you crazy kids want to get up to.

Yes! We have driven off the overlords of Ustalav. She can run, but she will not hide for long if she decides to lurk in this building.

If I recall from Vampire lore, and visiting those tunnels, they like to have their crypts or coffins somewhere nearby. Let us look for that.

*****
In the reliquary, Bronin looks around for the best opportunities to find secret doors, or ways downward. He thinks vamps like dark, underground stuff.

perception: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (8) + 16 = 24

"If I recall from Vampire lore..."

"'If I recall from vampire lore'?" Wren looks at Bronin, quite surprised. "Where did you learn about vampire lore? News-feratu?"

While she is surprised, she's not sure he's wrong.

"Well, I learnt about vampires during the great bloodbaths of oh...Idunno, about 60 years ago...blahblahblah...milking both sides of certain humans and some elves...blahblahblah...mixed with cinnamon was considered both a laxative and potent aphrodisiac, but you can see why you wouldn't *that* particular combination...blahblahblah...tried it a few times but with mixed IYKWIM results...blahblahblah...the dwarf seemed to like it...blahblahblah...so then we just ate the rest of the strawberries without cream, as it were," Wren explains.

Wren will search the wraith and specter area with Detect Magic.

1d20 + 16 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 16 + 2 = 34 Perception

Wren's comment about News-Feratu goes right over his head.

whiskeyjack will pause long enough to make sure none of the reliquaries are harboring magic, then join Bronin in looking around.

perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31*

"I be runnin' low on spells an' healin' fer th' day. Plenty o' wands, o' course, bu' no' much in th' way o' emergency healin'. Or combat power fer tha'."

Wren will wand herself to full.

1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2 CLW
1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 CLW
1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6 CLW
1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2 CLW
1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7 CLW

5 charges.

The wraith and spectre area unfortunately contain no magic that Wren can detect. Just what used to be some pretty spooky ghosts.

Bronin looks over the room for secret doors. His amazing detective skills detect a large obvious door to the north. Listening at it, he hears the bubbling of a kettle and the clinking of tea cups.

Bronin preps to open that door.
He waits for the others to tinker around more, as they are wont to do. But he stands quiet and ready to pounce. Both swords out.